Since the Scriptures say that each of us is a dwelling, or temple for the Holy Spirit, and we are also living stones that make up the entire Ecclesia, or Church, then logically speaking, each individual is a type of church that is represented in the book of Revelation. I myself, have done this bit of soul-searching, and personally, I found that I was a Laodicean Church. I know dear reader, truly it is the worst church next to the nearly dead one, right? I know I was a Laodicean church, because I was once a Word of Faith minion, and these congregants boast and 'say' that they are rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.
In reality, most of them are poor, blind and naked. I know I was poor, and I still am, even after decades of sowing my money to these false teachers, who were the only beneficiaries in that deal. But thanks be to God, I'm no longer that kind of church, and I don't go to that kind of church any more either! I am now striving to be a member of the Philadelphian church. But perhaps, the Lord will count me as the church of Smyrna; a possibility which I must be ready to face - meaning the possibility of martyrdom during the Tribulation period. Don't you see that dear reader? Don't you see that we are individually considered to be a temple, ecclesia, or church, which we in turn make up the entire church, or body of Christ?
Now with that knowledge, apply it to the first few chapters of Revelation. According to Scripture, the Tribulation Period awaits those who are in need of purification, and judgement; a time which will include even those chosen few, who will bravely represent and prove their faith in Jesus, even unto death (Rev. 12:11;17). Unlike what many sheep have been told by the masses of hireling pastors and false teachers, which is that the entire church will be "raptured," or removed from earth, before the Tribulation; in reality there will only be a few, or a faithful Philadelphian remnant, who will escape this up and coming great hour of trial entirely, to a place prepared for her in the wilderness (Rev. 3:9-10, 12:6;13-16). Now, as to how , when, and where the Lord will take them, in order to keep them from the face of the dragon, or this great hour of trial, is another subject. The Bible only talks about a single elect people, not two separate chosen people, that being his Church, which includes Jews and Gentiles who have the faith of Abraham. No one has been replaced in the sense of removal, but in the sense of restoration. Thank be to Jesus, a true "Jew" is one who is a Jew in the heart and the spirit, not in the flesh, according to Paul in Romans 2:29.
Also, there is only a second coming of Jesus, not a third, spoken of in Scripture. Jesus won't be coming secretly to claim his faithful bride (the church), instead he will make his second coming very public. According to Scripture, regarding the last days, the faithful are warned to run for the hills when they see the abomination of desolation in the temple, so apparently, they will be taken somewhere on earth to be cared for, for those three and a half years that the Anti-Christ will be allowed to run amok. Meanwhile, the only human inhabitants of heaven that we are shown concerning this tumultuous time, are the martyrs from the Great Tribulation, that are awaiting their vengeance that God will unleash on those who murdered them. We are not told about any who were taken up to heaven, or raptured before the tribulation, who are wearing white, are we? I must stress the biblical fact that it is only a watchful and faithful remnant that will be removed and spared the torment that will be unleashed upon the ungodly, and disobedient masses of, and on the earth. And those faithful few who are removed, are taken to a place on the earth, that has been prepared for them (Rev.12:6;14), and not to heaven.
How do I know that? Well, heaven is never described as "the wilderness" in Scripture, it is spoken of as paradise. And if the woman in Revelation 12 was taken up into heaven, then any concern of a murderous flood coming after her would not have been grave enough to require the giving of wings to her as an eagle to escape it. Clearly the woman (who many Bible scholars claim is national Israel rather than the Church) is not taken to heaven, but to a place of refuge on the earth, or the wilderness.
And I don't entirely agree with the differentiation between National Israel and the body of Christ that theologians assert, but that is not of my own opinion, rather it is something I derived from Scripture. What I mean is that there are two "Israel's" if you will. National Israel, and True (or Spiritual) Israel. National Israel is by and large the immoral majority that God had to constantly punish. They rely on their outward observance of religious ritual, and their physical relation to Abraham to save them. Whereas True (or Spiritual Israel) live by faith, they are the remnant that do not bow their knees to Baal, they are those that God reserves for himself. They are the true physical and spiritual descendants of Abraham. They do not rely on their own righteousness, but instead rely on the Lord's righteousness. In the New Testament, they were the first Christians, before the Gentiles nations were giving the gospel.
There is always only one "elect" people of God in Scripture, not two. Spiritual Israel that came from believing Abraham, is the True Israel, and is the root of the Christian faith, we are grafted onto that righteous tree. National Israel will be judged for their rejection of their Messiah, but even so, there will be some that come to the faith in the Tribulation period, namely, the 144,000 missionaries Jesus commissions from the 12 tribes.
And since Jesus is the Lord God Almighty, then that means there is only woman in his life, which is his bride, or the Church. But there is another woman, a harlot, for all of the members of Satan's church, or synagogue. Before anyone gets their shorts in a bunch, I want to assure you that the Church (the elect) is comprised of any and all who have the faith of Abraham, so that would include those who are physical Israelites, and Gentiles, or "the one new man" spoken of in the book of Ephesians. Amen.
How do I know that? Well, heaven is never described as "the wilderness" in Scripture, it is spoken of as paradise. And if the woman in Revelation 12 was taken up into heaven, then any concern of a murderous flood coming after her would not have been grave enough to require the giving of wings to her as an eagle to escape it. Clearly the woman (who many Bible scholars claim is national Israel rather than the Church) is not taken to heaven, but to a place of refuge on the earth, or the wilderness.
And I don't entirely agree with the differentiation between National Israel and the body of Christ that theologians assert, but that is not of my own opinion, rather it is something I derived from Scripture. What I mean is that there are two "Israel's" if you will. National Israel, and True (or Spiritual) Israel. National Israel is by and large the immoral majority that God had to constantly punish. They rely on their outward observance of religious ritual, and their physical relation to Abraham to save them. Whereas True (or Spiritual Israel) live by faith, they are the remnant that do not bow their knees to Baal, they are those that God reserves for himself. They are the true physical and spiritual descendants of Abraham. They do not rely on their own righteousness, but instead rely on the Lord's righteousness. In the New Testament, they were the first Christians, before the Gentiles nations were giving the gospel.
There is always only one "elect" people of God in Scripture, not two. Spiritual Israel that came from believing Abraham, is the True Israel, and is the root of the Christian faith, we are grafted onto that righteous tree. National Israel will be judged for their rejection of their Messiah, but even so, there will be some that come to the faith in the Tribulation period, namely, the 144,000 missionaries Jesus commissions from the 12 tribes.
And since Jesus is the Lord God Almighty, then that means there is only woman in his life, which is his bride, or the Church. But there is another woman, a harlot, for all of the members of Satan's church, or synagogue. Before anyone gets their shorts in a bunch, I want to assure you that the Church (the elect) is comprised of any and all who have the faith of Abraham, so that would include those who are physical Israelites, and Gentiles, or "the one new man" spoken of in the book of Ephesians. Amen.